• Maverick entrepreneur excites Lagos high society with avant-garde pleasure project
By Femi Ajayi
There is something unusual about Sijibomi Ogundele; everything is unusual about him. Where his peers stay content in being ordinary, Sijibomi a.k.a Sujimoto seeks to be extraordinary. He does not wish to appear the best, he seeks to be the best.
But despite his predilection for excellence, the handsome dude with nice frame and mammoth reputation does not seek to become a Nigerian Voltaire or Gibbon, neither does he intend to model his exploits after the great deeds of mankind’s deceased heroes, Sujimoto simply wishes to be his own man; a 21st century hero cut from a rare stock.
Until he happened upon the Nigerian construction landscape a couple of months ago, not a few people thought he was a fantasist. Back then, Sijibomi was a nobody; nonetheless, he was able to make a grand entry into the country’s construction sector. More fascinatingly, he was able to command the interest and presence of the industry’s highest-ranking juggernauts to the formal launch of his enterprise: Sujimoto, at the WheatBakers Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Few months after his grand entrance into the construction industry, on Saturday, December 12, to be precise, Sujimoto has unveiled a 25-storey building, which currently stands as the tallest residential building model in Lagos. Known as Lorenzo By Sujimoto, the building is intended to revive the magnificence of Florence as a symbol of structural mastery thus bringing ancient grandeur into 21st century architecture.
The event which took place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island (VI) was star-studded as it drew the crème of the country’s high society. The Managing Director (MD) of Sujimoto, Sijibomi, while speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos on Saturday, said that the project was named after the late Lorenzo de’ Medici, who inspired the works of great artists like Buonarotti, Michelangelo among others and transformed the architectural mind set of the time by introducing true elegance into luxury living. According to him, his company visited more than 40 buildings in Lagos and Abuja, and travelled across three continents in search of quality and inspiration.
“We went to Dubai and saw the beauties of Downtown, travelled to Tokyo to the prestigious suburbs of Ginza and went to New York where we visited some penthouses in Manhattan. We have learnt from the best and we know that the world belongs to those who create something rare, and not the norm, those who go the extra mile; those who think big, and build big,” he said.
The dashing and suave construction guru said that: “Lorenzo by Sujimoto will be the tallest residential building in Lagos.
“For the first time in Nigeria, we will have a fully automated building, where you can control all your appliances with the touch of a button; your curtains, air conditioning, entertainment system will all be linked to a central command, which will be accessible from anywhere in the world. It will be a highly secure building where, through an automated system, no –one can enter your apartment without your knowledge. We will also have the ‘Eye of Bourdillion’ the highest pool deck in Nigeria, where a semi- Olympic sized swimming pool is located on the 16th floor.”
Sijibomi stated that his company’s penthouses will have a private garden of about 250 square metres and a private swimming pool on the 23rd floor, six master bedrooms, a private gym, office and a private movie room. It will be the best of its kind in Africa, he said.
He affirmed that Lorenzo by Sujimoto is a great project that guarantees a minimum of 100% return on investments(ROI), adding that no other real estate company in Nigeria has been able to bring together the three fundamental principles of real estate: location, architecture, and lifestyle. “Our intention is not to do things 10% better, but to do things 10 times better…It is not our priority at Sujimoto to do everything in Real Estate; what is important to us is the efficient delivery of true luxury. Therefore, come first quarter of 2018, Sujimoto will be proud to hand over the Lorenzo By Sujimoto project,” he said.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, commended Sujimoto for the project, adding that, since the state was in housing deficit hence the state government will continue to do its best by providing the enabling environment for private investor to thrive.
